lefty vs righty

[tazmike]

i was wondering if any of you think that lefty southpaw bowlers have it easier than righty's and if so why? i was bowling a tournament last week and a guy who bowled with our group of 8 had a major issue with me since i bowl lefthanded he badmouthed me and my game the whole time.:confused:

[JaMau24]

Lefties have an advantage because there are so few of them. Fewer lefties, means fewer bowlers are bowling on your same line. The vast majority of bowlers are right handed and their lines are intersection every which way. This means the lanes will break down faster for a right handed bowler than a left handed bowler. Not just break down faster, but also cause their line to be messed up by the various lines people are playing.

Do I think a lefty has an advantage in a tournament or during league? Absolutely. However, I'm not one that cares about it. Some people get angry, and are really bothered by it, but I mean, what the heck can you do!? lol. Lefties were born that way. I'm not going to BLAME them. They aren't cheating! People need to get over it.

[Zothen]

Yes lefties have a big advantage like JaMau24 said. Righties have to contend with wet/dry conditions,oil down to pins,severe dry lanes,etc. Lefties have frsh oil to play in and can find a line much faster then a rightie not to mention being able to have same line by 3rd game where as a rightie is constantly finding a line or having to switch balls.

Zothen

[J Anderson]

Adjusting to lane conditions is one aspect of the game. Since lefties don't have to do it as much, many of them quickly lose any advantage once there's another lefty or two on the lanes.

[The German Shepherd]

Yes Lefties have an advantage because their shot is less likely to get burned up during a session. Also since their side of the lanes get used less often, there is less wear and tear done to the lanes surface itself...

Jay

[75lockwood]

Anyone that makes excuses like this as to why you are beating them is pathetic, sure lefty's have the advantage that there often have the left side to themselves, but if you think it's so much easier, how about you throw a lefty ball? if you worry more about your game and less about the advantage of a southpaw you might do better

[Basisud]

I'm left handed and I bowl regularly with 3 other lefties and we have our token righty. Is our righty cheating and having an advantage? I don't see how this is even a debate... Do players that throw 2 handed have an advantage because of the amount of revolutions they put on a ball? These are all just excuses to why you think life is unfair and not handed to you on a silver plate. If you don't like it, switch hands. Please post video of you bowling left handed. It should be easy right?

[TheSheibs]

As a Lefty, I will say that I do have an advantage. However, the league I bowl on has four other lefties, two on the same team. When I bowl those teams, that advantage decreases a little but since we all have such a similar shot, it still doesn't affect me. Most Lefties I have come across have a shot very similar to mine and don't do have a unique or strange style. We all bowl, pretty much, the same way. One advantAge is that once we find the "sweet" spot for lane conditions, we can stay there throughout almost all three games. I usually make adjustments in the first few frames and then not again until some time in the third game.

[JaMau24]

but if you think it's so much easier, how about you throw a lefty ball?

I don't understand that argument at all, lol... Lefties were born left handed therefore it comes naturally. A right handed bowler couldn't just "throw a lefty ball" and expect anything good to come from it. I suppose with years of practice, they MIGHT be able to master it, but I know I sure wouldn't be able to and I highly doubt they could. Not saying you did insinuate it, but lets not pretend lefties taught themselves how to throw left handed and ignored their dominant hand. They were born that way, and it's what comes natural. They have an advantage in bowling, big deal. I'm not upset about it at all. After-all, I can use a pair of scissors with ease ;)


I'm left handed and I bowl regularly with 3 other lefties and we have our token righty. Is our righty cheating and having an advantage? I don't see how this is even a debate... Do players that throw 2 handed have an advantage because of the amount of revolutions they put on a ball? These are all just excuses to why you think life is unfair and not handed to you on a silver plate. If you don't like it, switch hands. Please post video of you bowling left handed. It should be easy right?

Who said anything about how lefties are cheating!? I sure can't find it anywhere. You seem a little disgruntled. Congrats, you bowl with more lefties than most people do. That doesn't change the fact that their are far less lefties than righties.

To answer your questions -- Yes, when you bowl with 3 lefties and 1 right (and if it's only you 4 on the lanes) then yes, the right handed bowler does have the advantage. Also, Yes, you could make the case 2 handed bowlers do have an advantage because of the amount of revs. EVERYONE LOOKOUT FOR A 2 HANDED LEFT HANDED BOWLER!! lol!

Furthermore, this isn't a debate. This is a fact. It's not an opinion. It's proven that if you have more bowlers bowling over the same line, then the lane will change faster.

If there is a league with 5 people on a team, there will be 10 people on the lanes that night. More times then not, there will only be 1 or 2 lefties and 8 or 9 righties. That's 8 or 9 bowlers bowling close to or on the same line, and 1 or 2 guys on a different part of the lane, doing their own thing. Not hard to figure out who has an advantage.

Again though, I'm not one that worries about that stuff and I'm certainly not bothered by it at all. Keep doing your thing lefties and accept the advantage that has been bestowed upon you.

[vgw]

As most people say, I also agree that lefties have an advantage since there tend to be less out there. Lanes do not change as much which means they can throw the same shot for longer periods of time.

As far as the guy that badmouthed you, that is not representative of me or people I bowl with, and I'm sorry that happened. I usually just try to subtly rub it back in his face with my bowling and blowing him out of the water.

[MisterSinister]

This is a great example of some of the absolute cry babies that call themselves bowlers. Why hate on someone because they are left handed? Some people just need an excuse when they lose cause thy can't deal with the fact you are better than they are, or they can't do what you can do. There are a lot of people out there who need to stop crying, and stop worrying about what other people do. Stop the hate, and just bowl!

[Greenday]

This is a great example of some of the absolute cry babies that call themselves bowlers.

This. So someone is a lefty. Big deal. That's not their fault. It's nothing to get upset over.

[billf]

YES, there is an advantage for left-handers. The only people who have an issue with it are right-handers who can't bowl their weight and want to blame everyone but themselves for it.
I think most, not all, lefties have great form, very smooth and fluid. Why don't more righties try bowling that way? Instead a ton of righties want to crank the heck out of it, throw stupid hard, etc. and all with form that truly sucks (myself included).

[AZBowla]

I never understood the hating left handed bowlers get. I've never seen anyone win a PBA title just because they were left handed, so if it is an advantage it's not much of one. It's certainly never helped me bowl better than a good right handed player can. Anyone crying about you being left handed needs to learn not just how to bowl better but how to cope with life. Some people's kids....

[10-in-the-pit]

I think hating is different than an opinion of which handed bowler has an advantage. These are two completely different discussions. For the same reasons stated by lots of other people, I think lefties do have a general advantage over righties. This is not me hating, this is my opinion based on what I've seen. There are just not as many lefty bowlers or people than righties. In the end, it just comes down to who can bowl better by adjusting to the lanes.

[75lockwood]

I think hating is different than an opinion of which handed bowler has an advantage. These are two completely different discussions. For the same reasons stated by lots of other people, I think lefties do have a general advantage over righties. This is not me hating, this is my opinion based on what I've seen. There are just not as many lefty bowlers or people than righties. In the end, it just comes down to who can bowl better by adjusting to the lanes.

Agreed.

[JaMau24]

I never understood the hating left handed bowlers get. I've never seen anyone win a PBA title just because they were left handed, so if it is an advantage it's not much of one. It's certainly never helped me bowl better than a good right handed player can. Anyone crying about you being left handed needs to learn not just how to bowl better but how to cope with life. Some people's kids....

That's because the PBA bowlers are so much more advanced than the general league bowlers, so it really becomes a moot point. Plus, the lane patterns are going to be very difficult for either left handed or right handed, and even so, it's still an advantage for the lefties. No matter the hand for the PBA bowlers, they can adjust quickly and be extremely accurate, so that makes it more of a moot point as well. Furthermore, I believe the top right handed bowlers in the PBA are a lot better than the top lefties in the PBA (My opinion).

[TheSheibs]

I just want to point out that the general consensus on here is that Lefties have a slight advantage over Righties when a Lefty is the only one on a set of lanes. AND, that when you put several Lefties on the same lane, it evens out and they have the same issues to deal with that Righties have to deal with when bowling against other Righties.

Can we all agree on that and move on to another topic?

[Basisud]

I tried to quote the statement that right handed PBA bowlers must be overall better than lefties but it wouldn't let me. On a sport shot, lefties have a disadvantage (yep i said DISADVANTAGE) because they don't have the luxury of having 9 other people to help break down the God awful amount of oil. If you have watched practice for any PBA event, you will see everyone throwing charcoal like bowling balls to break down the shot. I have bowled in sport shot tournaments and I bowl collegiately (sport shot) and the righties can break down a lane to almost a house shot type forgiveness (5 to 7 board misses). Through the entire day, lefties have to make accurate shots (3 board misses at most) and that's where the perception comes that professional bowlers that are right handed are overall better than left handed bowlers.

I would also like to apologize for being disgruntled on the last time i posted in this thread. I've dealt with this argument daily since I started bowling and it gets old. I know, if I don't like it I should have just ignored it but that's not my style. :D

[americantrotter]

I tried to quote the statement that right handed PBA bowlers must be overall better than lefties but it wouldn't let me. On a sport shot, lefties have a disadvantage (yep i said DISADVANTAGE) because they don't have the luxury of having 9 other people to help break down the God awful amount of oil. If you have watched practice for any PBA event, you will see everyone throwing charcoal like bowling balls to break down the shot. I have bowled in sport shot tournaments and I bowl collegiately (sport shot) and the righties can break down a lane to almost a house shot type forgiveness (5 to 7 board misses). Through the entire day, lefties have to make accurate shots (3 board misses at most) and that's where the perception comes that professional bowlers that are right handed are overall better than left handed bowlers.

I would also like to apologize for being disgruntled on the last time i posted in this thread. I've dealt with this argument daily since I started bowling and it gets old. I know, if I don't like it I should have just ignored it but that's not my style. :DThat makes sense for the pros, I'd never heard that before.

I like watching lefties bowl, just like baseball they have the better form and it just looks right. But people are always going to hate, somehow it has gotten into the collective consciousness that if it isn't like your own self it's unequal or unfair. For a country that hates communism it's a weird thought pattern.

[JaMau24]

I tried to quote the statement that right handed PBA bowlers must be overall better than lefties but it wouldn't let me. On a sport shot, lefties have a disadvantage (yep i said DISADVANTAGE) because they don't have the luxury of having 9 other people to help break down the God awful amount of oil. If you have watched practice for any PBA event, you will see everyone throwing charcoal like bowling balls to break down the shot. I have bowled in sport shot tournaments and I bowl collegiately (sport shot) and the righties can break down a lane to almost a house shot type forgiveness (5 to 7 board misses). Through the entire day, lefties have to make accurate shots (3 board misses at most) and that's where the perception comes that professional bowlers that are right handed are overall better than left handed bowlers.

I would also like to apologize for being disgruntled on the last time i posted in this thread. I've dealt with this argument daily since I started bowling and it gets old. I know, if I don't like it I should have just ignored it but that's not my style. :D

You know what, that is true. I totally forgot that aspect of the argument. My mistake. I know from experience as well, that bowling on a broken down sport shot is easier than a fresh oiled sport shot.

and no worries, I can imagine I'd be annoyed with it too if I were left handed and had to constantly hear about it. Anyone that starts talking crap, or makes little jabs at you guys during league or a tournament doesn't represent how most of us feel. Those guys are just sore losers and wish they could be as good as most of you are.

[300 lefty bowler]

It works both ways. On sport shots where Iam usually the only lefty on the pair the carry down effect last longer than the right side. It is what it is. I can only do what I think will work for me

[billf]

It's ok left-handers. I throw enough Brooklyn shots to screw up your side too.

[J Anderson]

It's ok left-handers. I throw enough Brooklyn shots to screw up your side too.

Hey, we get royalties when you use our pocket!

[billf]

John, what's odd is that I don't cross over nearly as often when I bowl left-handed. I do leave a lot more splits though.